RAND Says Alt Fuels Out, Coal & Biomass In, for Military

Joanna Schroeder

RAND National Defense Research Institute has released a study today amidst a firestorm of criticism with many claiming that the report sounds like an advertisement for the coal industry. The study, commissioned by the Department of Defense, was to conduct an examination of alternative fuels for military applications. For the past several years, the military has been testing alternative fuels, including biodiesel and algal fuels, in aviation and marine applications and has set clear goals to use alternative fuels by 2016 and beyond.

The report concludes that in the short term, “considering economics, technical readiness, greenhouse gas emissions, and general environmental concerns, FT fuels derived from a mixture of coal and biomass represent the most promising approach to producing amounts of alternative fuels that can meet military, as well as appreciable levels of civilian, needs by 2030.”

The report continues by saying, “It is highly uncertain whether appreciable amounts of hydrotreated renewable oils (biodiesel) can be affordably and cleanly produced within the United States or abroad.” The report questions whether renewable fuels can ramp up to commercial scale, be economically competitive and it questions their ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. All of these issues rule biodiesel and algae out, where too much money and resources are being spent, according to the report, as being a viable candidate to meet the military need’s over the next decade.

If these findings weren’t enough to stir up the hornet’s nest, the report also called for Congress to reconsider the military’s budget for alternative fuel-projects. This is a sure-fire way to invoke debate in Washington, especially as a Republican Congress searches for ways to cut the federal budget.

In a New York Times article, the report elicited quick criticism. “Unfortunately, we were not engaged by the authors of this report,” said Thomas W. Hicks, deputy assistant secretary of energy for the Navy. “We don’t believe they adequately engaged the market,” he said, adding, “This is not up to RAND’s standards.”Read More

algae, BIO, Biodiesel, biofuels, biojet fuel, Research

Sen. Harkin Introduces “Biofuels Market Expansion Act”

Joanna Schroeder

U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced a new piece of legislation today, called the “Biofuels Market Expansion Act of 2011.”  The bill, if passed, would ensure an increasing number of automobiles in the U.S. be flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), expands the number of blender pumps and make renewable fuel pipelines eligible for the federal loan guarantee pipeline program. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD), Richard Lugar (R-IN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Al Franken (D-MN).

“While we appreciate the fact that the EPA is taking steps to approve E15, the ensuing litigation by opposing groups and red tape of the agency’s E15 pump labeling rule is creating a great deal of uncertainty about when E15 will be made available,” said Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) who is hosting a “Biofuels Beltway March” at the end of March.

Jennings continued, “Consumers deserve the kind of fuel choice that can only be achieved if there is a blender pump on every corner and an FFV in every garage. We must begin building flexibility into our nation’s fuel system so the power to choose the best fuel is put into the hands of the consumer – and not decided by EPA bureaucrats or by the oil industry through a de facto 90 percent petroleum mandate.”

“Flexible fuel vehicles and blender pumps allow a wide range of fuels to be offered by the gas stations and selected by the motorists, ensuring that homegrown renewable fuels have access to the marketplace and that motorists have the ability to choose the best fuel for their own vehicle.  We fully support the Harkin-Johnson market expansion bill and encourage their colleagues to sign on in support so that the legislation can move forward.”

The bill would require 50 percent of vehicles for sale in the U.S. to be flex-fuel vehicles in model years 2014 and 2015, and 90 percent to be FFVs in model year 2016 and after. The legislation also authorizes a grant program for the installation of blender pumps.

ACE, biofuels, Ethanol, Flex Fuel Vehicles, Legislation

Newt Gingrich Wows Iowa RFA Summit

Cindy Zimmerman

newt gingrichIf it were up to the Iowa renewable fuels industry, Newt Gingrich would probably be elected the next president of the United States.

The former speaker of the U.S. House spoke to a full house at the 5th annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines on Tuesday. Hitting all the right notes, Gingrich was interrupted several times by applause during his 25 minute address at the summit.

“We need an American energy plan that is designed for good environmental reasons, good economic reasons and good national security reasons,” Gingrich said. “I would rather have the next building boom in Des Moines than in Dubai.”

Gingrich says he is for all types of energy – oil, natural gas, nuclear, wind, solar, renewable fuels and coal – but he thinks food versus fuel is a farce. “The people who talk about food versus fuel are just plain flat wrong,” he said. He said if anyone is to blame for any food shortages, it is the European opposition to using genetically engineered crops.

Probably the biggest applause came when Gingrich gave his opinions on the U.S. EPA. “One of the things we are working on at American Solutions is to develop an Environmental Solutions Agency to replace the Environmental Protection Agency,” he said.

This is a speech well worth a listen.

Listen to or download Newt’s entire speech at IRFA here: Newt Gingrich at Iowa RFA Summit


Click here to see photos from the IRFA Summit on Flickr.

Audio, Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News

Enervation Advisors Aquires Tri-City Energy Biodiesel

Joanna Schroeder

Enervation Advisors, an Axis Group Company, has acquired Tri-City Energy biodiesel and glycerin facilities in Keokuk, Iowa. The company is currently staffing the biodiesel plant, that has been shut down, and has already begun a retrofit. Enervation anticipates that the plant will begin producing glycerin by March of this year. This is the first acquisition into the renewables market for Enervation in what the company expects to be many. Once the biodiesel plant is operational, it will produce 5 million gallons of biodiesel per year. The adjacent glycerin purification facility will produce 4 million gallons per year at full capacity.

According to a press release, Enervation is seeking to raise only private funds to restore closed biodiesel and ethanol plants in the U.S. and company founders Paul Tantillo and William Dollard believe that growth in the industry can be achieved without government grants or the $1-per-gallon biodiesel tax credit.

“It was the false sense of security that pervaded the industry, just a few years back, that caused hundreds of millions of dollars in bank loans to ultimately fail and plants to close as a result of depending on soybean oil and the dollar per gallon tax credit. Therefore, we choose to be able to operate clear of that dependence,” remarked Paul Tantillo, Enervations Director of Operations and Managing Member.

The company will deploy multiple feedstock technology as rising costs of feedstocks are a common source of financial hardship for biofuel plants. It has recently been reported that rising corn prices are currently squeezing ethanol margins. This strategy is already deployed at the biodiesel facility in Keokuk and engineers are currently designing a front-end component to allow for multiple feedstock processing capabilities. According to the company, this strategy allows for the ability to maneuver feedstocks as needed as prices surge or recede, ensuring that the plant maintain positive cash flows, and protecting the plant’s financial future.

Enervation has also begun the build out for their ethanol plant also situated in Keokuk and should be completed and open by September of this year. Enervation has also placed bids on several plants in various degrees of distress from bankruptcy to bank owned, and are seeking additional plants on an ongoing basis.

Biodiesel, Ethanol

Biodiesel Brewed Up for Future Chefs

John Davis

Students at California’s Culinary Institute of America are learning their ways around the kitchen. And if they’re paying attention to the biodiesel being used in their rides to school, they’re also getting a lesson in sustainability.

Biodiesel Magazine reports the school’s Greystone campus in the Napa Valley is using waste vegetable oil from the kitchens to turn into biodiesel (produced Springboard Biodiesel LLC) for shuttles:

The biodiesel is used in two shuttle vans and other all-terrain vehicles used to move equipment around the campus. The vans, each with a 26-gallon fuel tank, previously used diesel fuel at a cost of roughly $3.35 per gallon. By using the biodiesel-blended fuel, which according to the school costs 88 cents per gallon to make, the CIA was able to save $64 per tank.

The school has been producing biodiesel for the last three months, and Phipps said in the winter the mix will be 50 percent biodiesel while the summer mix will be 70 percent. The idea to use the school’s WVO was first proposed by Charles E. Henning, managing director of the campus. “I have been ‘green-thinking’ for many years,” Henning said. “I grew up in Switzerland where we have been recycling and leading a green lifestyle since the 1960s.” Because sustainability is a large goal of the CIA, Henning started looking at how to put the WVO to better use. “After investigating several options, we ran the numbers on purchasing our own distiller to make the biodiesel,” he said, adding that because the machine would pay for itself in one year, “the decision was obvious.”

School officials say they learned a lot from an Internet biodiesel production class from Utah Biodiesel Supply Co. and also received help from Springboard.

Biodiesel

Cimarron Solar Facility Begins Commercial Operation

Joanna Schroeder

The Cimarron Solar Facility is online in New Mexico and is now powering nearly 9,000 homes with solar energy. The project is a partnership between Southern Company and Ted Turner (Turner Renewable Energy) and the power is being supplied through a 25-year power purchase agreement to member electric cooperatives of Denver-based Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. First Solar developed and constructed the facility and will continue to operate and maintain the site.

“This is a key milestone for Southern Company as we steadily incorporate more renewables into our energy portfolio,” said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Tom Fanning. “Renewables, along with new nuclear, increased energy efficiency, 21st century coal technology and additional natural gas, all will be crucial to meeting this nation’s growing energy demand.”

The 364-acre plant site is located within the service territory of Tri-State member system Springer Electric Cooperative in Colfax County, New Mexico and is adjacent to Turner’s Vermejo Park Ranch. The partners acquired the project from First Solar back in March of 2011. Initially expected to go on line by the end of 2010, the facility was completed in eight months and began commercial operation in early December.

Turner said of the project, “We are very excited to see this project completed and producing clean solar energy to power homes and businesses in New Mexico. Large-scale solar generation is among the fastest growing energy sources in the world, and we’re pleased that we can be a part of that growth.”

Frank De Rosa, Senior Vice President of Project Development for First Solar concluded, “The Cimarron Solar Facility demonstrates First Solar’s capabilities in utility scale projects. Integrating technology, manufacturing, project development and engineering, procurement and construction expertise enables First Solar to be a leader in sustainable energy development.”

Electricity, Solar

Endicott Biofuels to Build Texas Biodiesel Plant

John Davis

Houston, Texas-based Endicott Biofuels has inked a deal with KMTEX Ltd. to build a 30-million gallon-per-year biodiesel plant in Port Arthur, Texas.

This Endicott press release says the refinery will use the company’s proprietary technology, and construction is to begin later this month:

“Our extensive specialty chemical processing capabilities in Port Arthur are well-suited to complement Endicott’s unique production of biodiesel,” said Artie McFerrin, President of KMTEX. “We are excited to begin this fruitful long-term relationship.”

G2 Clear is Endicott’s high-purity, high-quality biodiesel made from waste fats, oils and greases. This patent-protected process is capable of consuming any waste fat or oil in any proportion. EBF will use inedible feedstocks to help the U.S. meet the renewable fuel targets defined in the federal Renewable Fuel Standard and reduce dependence on foreign sources of crude oil.

“We are extremely pleased to establish this new business relationship with KMTEX and with the opportunity to locate our biorefinery here in Port Arthur,” said EBF’s CEO David Robinson. “Our G2 Clear™ has demonstrated the ability to exceed ASTM specifications for biodiesel using 100 percent waste materials and will have sub-60 second cold soak performance and very low carbon intensity, which means a fuel that is both reliable and environmentally cleaner than its competitors.”

Biodiesel

EDTA Releases “Driving Forward” Report

Joanna Schroeder

The Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) has released an action plan to help accelerate the growth of hybrid, plug-in, battery and fuel cell vehicles in the U.S. “Driving Forward: An Action Plan for the Electric Drive Era,” encourages public-private sector collaboration, encourages electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure development and outlines policies to speed up EV adoption.

“The nation is at an energy policy crossroads. Electric drive technologies – those available today and those on the horizon – can help the U.S. increase its energy security, spend more of its energy dollars domestically, expand competitiveness and create jobs – while creating a healthier environment, “ said EDTA President Brian Wynne. “The policies we are recommending will accelerate the opening of the electric drive era and ensure U.S. leadership in the effort.”

EDTA’s next-step policy recommendations will:

  • * Reduce market hurdles to speed deployment of electric drive vehicles.
  • * Educate consumers, communities and stakeholders about these new vehicles and charging options.
  • * Ensure U.S. leadership in electric drive manufacturing.
  • * Standardize regulatory policies for electric drive vehicles and infrastructure.
  • * Accelerate technology breakthroughs.

Many experts believe that within the next 40 years, EV’s could have a solid hold on the marketplace. But to get there, more policies will need to be put in place to ensure both the infrastructure is in place as well as a variety of vehicles are available and on the road. EDTA is specifically recommending policies that will ensure these two things happen at an accelerated pace.

Other barriers to greater EV adoption include price and the EDTA encourage polices that will aid consumers in the purchase of EVs. These policies will also help manufacturers reach economies of scale in vehicle and component production, a necessity to drive down costs. In addition the plan call for legislation that will help the U.S. keep its current competitive advantage, which also keeps manufacturing and R&D jobs in the U.S., and finally the action plan asks for more coordination between regulators, technology leaders and stakeholders to ensure growth.

Electric Vehicles

Bacteria Turns Biodiesel By-product Into Butanol

John Davis

Researchers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville have found a strain of bacteria that could turn glycerol, a by-product of biodiesel production, into another alternative fuel … butanol.

This story from the school’s news website says the research is being done by a graduate student with funding from the National Science Foundation:

Disposing of glycerol has been a problem for the biodiesel industry, according to Keerthi Venkataramanan, a student in UAHuntsville’s biotechnology Ph.D. program. “Many companies have had problems disposing of it. The glycerol you get as a byproduct isn’t pure, so it can’t be used in cosmetics or animal feeds. And purifying it costs three times as much as the glycerol is worth.”

The volume of glycerol produced is also daunting: About 100,000 gallons of glycerol is produced with every million gallons of biodiesel manufactured from animal fats or vegetable oils. (In 2009 more than 500 million gallons of biodiesel were produced in the U.S. while more than 2.75 billion gallons were produced in Europe.)

He is working with the Clostidium pasteurianum bacteria, which “eats” glycerol and produces several potentially useful byproducts.

“This strain is found deep in the soil,” he said. “It was originally studied for its ability to ‘fix’ nitrogen from the air.”

The bacteria uses glycerol as a carbohydrate source. From that they produce three alcohol byproducts — butanol, propanediol and ethanol — plus acetic acid and butyric acid. Butanol is a particularly interesting byproduct.

“Butanol is a big alcohol molecule, twice as big as ethanol,” Venkataramanan said. “You can use it as an industrial solvent and it can be used in cars, replacing gasoline with no modifications. It doesn’t have some of the problems you have with ethanol, such as rapid evaporation. And ethanol is a two-carbon molecule, but butanol is a four-carbon molecule so its energy value is much higher. In fact, there are plans to use it for jet fuel.

The article says that the bacteria also turn glycerin into a chemical used to make plastics. Plus, since it is non-pathogenic, the bacteria are better for the environment.

biobutanol, Biodiesel

Several Groups Disappointed with E15 Decision

Joanna Schroeder

Not everyone is happy with the latest E15 ruling from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Last Friday, the EPA ruled to allow consumers who drive conventional vehicles or light duty trucks manufactured between 2001-2006 to use E15, a blend of 15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline. In October of 2010, the EPA allowed the use of E15 in the model year 2007 or newer.

One group who is disappointed with the decision is the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). “It’s very disappointing that the administration made this decision given the rising price of corn and the lower estimate for this year’s corn harvest that recently was announced,” said Randy Spronk, a hog and crop farmer from Edgerton, Minn., who serves on NPPC’s board of directors and is chairman of the organization’s Environment Committee.

Last week, the USDA announced the final corn harvest numbers, down 5 percent from previous estimates. The report states that corn stockpiles were the lowest on record and that the national “carryover is now expected to be less than three weeks’ worth. The ethanol industry found that the lower number would not negatively affect any industries that use corn.

NPPC “strongly opposes” raising the blend rate because they claim it will put further upward pressure on corn supplies, increasing pork producers’ cost of production and reduce supplies. The ethanol industry denies that this will be a result of allowing E15. NPPC is one of several livestock groups that filed a lawsuit in federal court last November against the EPA over the E15 decision.Read More

blends, Ethanol, Ethanol News, food and fuel